Keeping You A Secret: part 3
by joeysgirl4eva
Summary: Derek and Casey come to terms with their feelings for one another thanks to the help of Lizzie and Edwin...Dasey fic.


AN: I don't own Life With Derek; No disrespect meant to either of the bands Three Day's Grace or Goo Goo Dolls. I really do love them both. :) The sections in italics are supposed to be part of the video. Thanks for the reviews! I hope you like this part!

Two weeks later Edwin and Lizzie had finished making their video. Edwin had broken down and told Derek that he and Lizzie needed to borrow the video camera for a school project. Derek allowed it only because he was promised a private viewing of the finished product.

"Derek is going to kill you," Lizzie told Edwin after the two of them had watched the completed video. Edwin shrugged.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take. Casey and Derek love each other. They're just too terrified to admit it to themselves let alone each other."

"Yeah," Lizzie agreed softly. "So, you ready to do this?" she finally asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Edwin replied, determination etched across his face. Lizzie nodded, sticking her head out into the hallway.

"Casey! Derek!" she yelled, waiting patiently for the two teenagers to emerge from their bedrooms. A few minutes later both Derek and Casey were sitting on Edwin's bed, fighting for legroom. Lizzie shared an exasperated look with Edwin who just rolled his eyes, cueing up the video. He turned to his brother and step-sister.

"The reason we've called you in here is to show you our video. Now are you two going to behave or do we need to separate you?"

"I'll behave if Klutzilla does," Derek said, jerking his thumb at Casey.

"Derek!" she exclaimed, crossing her arms at her chest and glaring at her step-brother. She _really_ hated that nickname. Edwin loudly cleared his throat, staring pointedly at them both. Casey blushed.

"Sorry. We'll be good," she promised. As Edwin started the video Lizzie swallowed hard. They were doing this for a good reason. She reassured herself. _Iris_ by The Goo Goo Dolls played in the background as the title card appeared on the screen.

Derek & Casey:

A Love Story

Derek stared at the screen in disbelief. _What in the hell? _he wondered, not daring to glance in Casey's direction. Casey was trying her best not to start hyperventilating. _Oh, my god! This can't be happening!_ she thought desperately, biting her lower lip. The two of them were unable to tear their gaze away from the TV screen.

"_What's with all the questions about Casey anyway? You know how I feel about her," Derek grumbled. He sat on his bed, lazily strumming on his guitar._

"_Sure, but for all the people out there wondering how you really feel about your step-sister, why don't you give me a run-down?" Edwin coaxed from behind the camera. Derek rolled his eyes, sighing heavily. "Fine. She can be really annoying because she's always got to have the highest GPA. And as a result she's trying to get me to care about my grades." Derek looked up from his guitar, staring directly into the camera and gagged._

_Casey was making her way down the stairs for dinner when she suddenly lost her footing. Derek, on the way toward the dining room saw something out of the corner of his eye and then hearing her scream, rushed back toward the stairs. He reached her just in time, catching her in his arms._

"_You all right, Case?" he whispered. She nodded into his chest, trembling. He ran his hand along her back until she stopped shaking. Casey finally pulled away to look him in the eyes._

"_Thanks, Derek."_

_Derek shrugged, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, I guess it's not your fault you have huge feet. It's genetic, right?" he asked, smirking at her._

"_Derek!" Casey screamed in frustration, shoving past him and making her way to the dining room._

"_Derek, turn it down! I'm trying to rehearse in here!" Casey yelled, banging on her bedroom wall, which was right next to Derek's room. Getting no response she just turned up her own music. Closing her eyes, she tried to center herself and run through her dance routine again. The Goo Goo Dolls 'Slide' which Casey was using for her routine clashed horribly with the fierce thump from next door. After messing up for the fourth time Casey let out a growl, shut off her music and headed to Derek's room._

_Derek stared blankly at his step-sister as Casey entered his bedroom unannounced, completely unaware of the frustration his music was causing her._

"_What's up?"_

"_Oh, I don't know. Maybe your music!? I'm trying to rehearse. Is it too much to ask for a little understanding from you? Turn it down."_

"_Can't," Derek said simply, immediately realizing this would be the response to irk Casey the most._

"_And why not?" Casey demanded, trying to remain calm._

"_Three Days Grace are what's considered a _good_ band. The Goo Goo Dolls? Yeah, I honestly don't know what they are. But good they're not," Derek insisted. Casey stared at him with a raised eyebrow. "That was one of your lamer comebacks, Mr. Venturi. Care to try again?" She honestly didn't know why she was giving him a second chance to insult her choice of music, but she just knew he could do better._

"_No, I really don't. And no, I won't turn my music down," Derek replied, his laziness more than apparent._

"_Fine. But don't expect me to turn mine down," Casey said before leaving his room._

"_If Max loves you as much as he says he's not gonna notice if you've got that crap spread all over your face. Why bother? I mean, since when did you become a sheep?"_

_Derek was laying on Casey's bed, watching as his step-sister got ready for a date with Max. Casey held a tube of lipstick up to her mouth, but stopped mid-stroke to shoot Derek a withering glare._

"_Derek, Max will be here any minute. If you have a point I suggest you find it," she replied icily, turning her attention once again to the make-up on her dresser._

"_I never figured you to be a follower, that's all. A leader, sure. Seems like Max and his minions are changing you. And not for the better," Derek muttered. Casey's eyebrows shot upward._

"_Ooh, big word, minion. Edwin teach you that?" she snapped. Derek glared back at her. "No. I'm just trying…I don't want you to…"_

"_What?"_

"_You know what? Forget it. Just forget I said anything," Derek insisted before tearing out of Casey's room. The camera zoomed in on Casey's face, tears welling in her eyes as a single tear slowly rolled down her cheek._

"_Derek," she whispered, sinking heavily onto her bed. _

As the video ended _Over and Over_ by Three Day's Grace played in the background. Derek felt as if he'd been punched in the gut. Watching Casey cry had been…well, it'd been awful. He stared at his younger brother, acting purely on instinct.

"Edwin, you are _so_ dead," he said quietly with a fierce, even tone. Edwin let out a yelp of terror before running out of his room and into the hallway. Derek caught up with him before he could get any farther, tackling him to the ground. Derek had pushed Edwin's arms above his head, holding onto his wrists. The two boys were panting heavily, Edwin closed his eyes tightly, waiting for Derek to slug him. When the expected punch didn't come, Edwin's eyes flew open and he stared at his brother in confusion.

"Derek, not that I'm not grateful, but why aren't you beating me up?" he asked. Derek rolled off of his younger brother, staring up at the hallway ceiling.

"Not worth it," Derek muttered.

"How come?" Edwin asked cautiously.

"You and Liz are right about me…about me being in love with Casey. And Ed, I swear if you tell another living soul about this, I _will_ kill you," Derek growled. Edwin gulped, nodding his understanding. Derek stood up and went to his room. Edwin sighed heavily. He was certain more than ever that he'd never understand teenagers and love. It seemed they were a potent combination.

Meanwhile Lizzie and Casey were still in Edwin's room. Lizzie was growing worried because Casey still hadn't said anything.

"Casey?" she asked worriedly, placing her hand on her older sister's shoulder. Casey slowly turned toward her and started laughing.

"Oh, my god, Lizzie. Did you and Edwin come up with this all on your own? It's brilliant."

Lizzie stared at her sister in confusion. "But I thought…" she protested feebly.

"What? That I'm in love with Derek? What a joke. I have a boyfriend. Don't worry, Liz, I'm still in love with Max."

"What about the rumor going around at the high school?"

"It's just a rumor, Lizzie, that's all. People love a scandal. A lot of them can't live without gossip in their lives. It's nothing to be taken seriously, all right?"

Lizzie nodded, unsure how to respond. Casey squeezed her hand before getting to her feet and heading to her own room again. Once there she closed the door behind her, slowly climbing onto her bed. She grabbed one of her pillows, pulling it to her chest. And then the tears came. She'd lied to Lizzie. And she wasn't sure how long she'd felt this way, but she'd been lying to herself for a long time about her feelings for Derek. But unfortunately in a situation like this there was no black and white like Lizzie and Edwin wanted to believe. Only shades of gray.

tbc...


End file.
